Chapter 61

Liz ran a hand across her cheek feeling the soreness of the forming bruise.
She stood silently for a moment, thinking of her next move, contemplating
whether or not she would hit Sam again. Would she rise above it and walk
away? Or strike back? The answer was simple.

A second later Liz lunged for Sam grabbing handfuls of blonde strands as she
pulled the girl down towards her. Sam began to retaliate instantly, clutching
and scratching at the hands that were embedded in her hair.

Suddenly they were on the ground and Sam squealed as Liz's tiny fist jabbed
at her head, landing straight on her eye, but she quickly gained the upper
hand as she flipped Liz over and went for her throat. Liz could feel the
weight of Sam's arms pressing down on her windpipe and she quickly began
clawing at her face. Sam held her face away from Liz's attack, and continued
to choke. Liz gasped for air and suddenly used her legs to flip Sam up and
over her head.

Sam lay on her back as Liz began to get up, crawling at first, then clutching
her neck as she stood.  She fought to compose herself, staggering over to
Sam. "Get up!" she barked, out of breath. As soon as Sam stood, Liz was on
her again, taking her own shot at strangulation. However, she was quickly met
by opposition, and this time...not from Sam.

Two strong arms encircled her waist at once, pulling her backwards while her
arms still stretched towards Sam, her fingers still itching to choke her. She
kicked and squirmed, trying desperately to free herself from his grasp, but
she knew she couldn't, and she knew he wasn't about to let go.

Next, she saw Emily grabbing Sam by the shoulders and holding her back
against the wall.

"What the Hell is going on?" Lucky asked, his eyes instantly darting to Sam.
He pushed Elizabeth behind him and held her there with one arm.

He turned around suddenly, inspecting his wife's face. There were bloody
scratches on her cheeks and the beginings of a bruise. He could also see
purple blotches surfacing fast upon her neck. He turned back around yet
again, glaring at Sam as if she had lost her mind. "Did you hit her?!"

Sam wiped at the blood on her lip and smirked. "She hit me first Lucky."

Lucky had had enough. He lunged forward towards Sam, not knowing exactly what
he was going to do. Fortuneately, for him he wouldn't have to find out, as
Emily quickly stepped between he and Sam.

Emily held her arms out, pushing Lucky away from Sam," Whoaaa....slow down
big fella..." she said, continueing to widen the space between Sam and Lucky.
"Lucky... take a deep breath and calm down...she's not worth it. Why don't
you just stay here with Liz, while Sam and I go take a little walk."

"No one needs to stay here with Liz," Elizabeth snapped, fuming from the
other side of the room.

Emily sighed, knowing that her bestfriend was furious with her for not
telling her about Sam and Lucky immediately after she found out. When Liz had
called Emily the day before, seeking comfort, Emily had not been able to hide
the truth. She knew she had to tell Liz that she'd known for days.

"I don't need either of you to fight my battles for me, ok?" Liz continued.
"I was doing fine on my own."

Emily nodded slowly and grabbed Sam by the elbow, leading her out of the
room, past a silent Lucky.

They stood there, staring at each other for a moment. Their apartment in
disarray around them. Pillows from the couch lie on the floor, their coffee
table turned over on it's side.

Lucky broke the silence, as he motioned to her cheek. "I'm gonna go get some
ice for that."

"I'm fine," Liz said flattly, walking towards the bathroom.

"Elizabeth that's gonna be a nasty bruise you should - "

"I said I'm fine!" she yelled, turning around to face him as he followed her
into the bathroom.

"Elizabeth stop being so damn stubborn and -"

"I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm fine!" Elizabeth shouted.

"FINE!" Lucky said, leaning against the door frame.

He watched her as she looked into the mirror, leaning over the counter to get
a closer look at the scratches and bruises that laced her face and neck. 'Why
doesn't she just let me help her?' Lucky thought.

She reached over to the mirrored cabinet door, pulling it open and retrieving
the first aid kit. Her hands trembled as she sat the kit on the coutertop and
stuck her fingers under the ridge, trying to pry it open. Lucky watched her
try four times, twisting the box this way and that as she cursed aloud before
he decided to take it from her.

His fingers brushed lightly over hers as he took the kit in his hands and
opened it without any trouble. They caught each other's eyes for a moment.
"May I?" He asked, pointing to her scratches.

Liz rolled her eyes as she hopped up onto the counter. 'Out of all times for
me not to be able to open something on my own...ugh! I hate it when he does
that!'

He gently grasped her chin and turned her face sideways as he held the
antiseptic pad away from her in his other hand. "This is gonna sting," he
wispered, his breath so close that it tickled her skin.

Liz winced and sucked in through her teeth as Lucky tentatively applied the
cloth to one of her scratches.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling his hand away for a moment. He blew lightly at
her flesh.

"It's ok," Liz said, squeezing her eyes shut to fight the onset of watering
eyes. "I can take it."

Lucky grinned, as he continued to clean the cuts on her face. She was
constantly trying to prove how tough she was, how much she could endure.
Little did she know that she didn't have to. She'd always been the strongest
person he'd ever known. "I know you can," he chuckled.

Liz's eyes flew open upon hearing him laugh and she grinned in spite of
herself. "You know...Sam looks way worse than I do."

Lucky smiled and nodded. "Yeah...I saw that...nice shiner there baby."

"Yeah, I did kick her ass didn't I?"

Lucky laughed aloud. "Damn straight."

Suddenly they were both laughing as Lucky moved closer to her, resting his
hands on her thighs and he stood between them. The laughter slowly subsided
as their eyes locked and Liz began to lean foward, her lips lingering
dangerously close to his. Lucky reached up, cupping her face in his hands, as
his own lips neared hers, hovering not centimeters above them, when suddenly
she jerked away. As quickly as the moment had begun, it ended.

Lucky sighed aloud as she hopped off the counter and quickly began throwing
the first aid kit back together. "I have to go," she stammered. "I have to
get to school." She opened the cabinet once again and set it on the shelf,
but as her hand retreated, her eyes stilled.

Lucky looked at her from his place behind her, noticing her stalled movement.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

She was quiet for a moment before she spoke. Her words came out so soft,
Lucky had to move closer to hear her. "Lucky...please tell me you used
something," she said flattly, not turning to look at him. Her eyes were
fixated on one circular object. She bit down on her lip as she waited for the
answer.

"What...what do you mean Elizabeth? What are you ta..." Lucky answered his
own question as his eyes followed hers and fell upon the blue container of
birth control pills.

She turned around slowly, facing him. "You didn't did you?...Of course you
didn't. Unless Sam had one...'cause Lord knows Lucky doesn't believe in
condoms."

"Elizabeth...I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?...Well, whatever for Lucky? What could you possibly have to be sorry
about? Hmmm...let's see..for sleeping with Sam?...For possibly impregnating
her?...For bringing me home God only knows what kind of disease?...Sorry
Liz...just when you thought you'd never have to take another HIV test...BAM!
You're husband proves you wrong!"

Lucky sighed. "Elizabeth...I would never put your life in danger like - "

"What do you think you did?!" She yelled. "You don't know what Sam has...I
can't believe you Lucky!" she added as she threw up her arms and walked out
of the bathroom. She stormed into the bedroom, gathering what she needed for
her trip to NYC.

"Elizabeth, please don't leave like this...we need to talk."

"Lucky there's nothing to discuss...I have to get to school."

"Ok," Lucky said, trailing behind her as she moved from drawer to drawer.
"Let me take you...I don't want you driving like this."

Liz stopped in her tracks and turned towards him. "Who said I'm driving?" she
asked cryptically.

"Well how are you getting there?" Lucky asked. "Is your dad gonna drop you
off...Audrey?"

"Nope," Liz said, walking towards the front door as Lucky followed. "Kyle's
picking me up."

She turned around quickly, wanting to catch his reaction. She wanted to see
if he'd felt even a twinge of the pain she went through every minute of the
day. She watched as his mouth dropped open slightly and his eyes glazed over,
and knew that he had. She had no interest in Kyle, and she never would, but
at that moment she wanted Lucky to hurt, and he did.

Chapter 62

"So go ahead Emily...I'm waiting," Sam said, stopping mid stride and wiping
at the blood that still sat on her lip.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, scratching her head. "You're waiting for
what?"

"You know," Sam replyed, folding her arms to keep warm as the cool November
air chilled her. They had walked outside of Kelly's about 10 minutes earlier
and Emily had yet to speak. "All the names you wanna call me...let me help
you get started...slut, tramp..."

"Why would I call you any of those things?" Emily asked, her face the
portrait of wide - eyed innocence. "Sam, listen to me...I think maybe I was
wrong about you."

"Huh?" Sam asked, stopping yet again to stare at Emily. "What are you trying
to pull Emily?"

Emily shook her head back and forth. "Nothing...nothing at all. I really do
think that I owe you an apology. I mean Sam, I'll be the first to admit that
up until a few days ago...I would have helped Liz bash your face in...but
obviously I was mistaken about you."

"What?" Sam asked, shocked by Emily's apparent change of heart.

"What I mean is that....this....affair you had with Lucky...why should
everyone gang up on you right? I mean it takes two to tango...and if anyone
is at fault here it's Lucky...I mean, you think you know someone..and he goes
and does something like this....damn. It just saddens me deeply," Emily said,
running a finger under the invisible tears that lie on her cheeks. She
continued then. "Honestly Sam...I don't blame you for all the stunts you
pulled...I would have done the same thing in your situation. I mean...you may
have even done Liz a favor by sleeping with Lucky...it's better she find out
now, 5 months into their marriage that she's got a husband that will screw
around on her, than to find out 5 years from now."

Sam sighed aloud and smiled, completely taken aback by Emily's about-face.
"Thank you for understanding."

"Anytime," Emily said smiling, from ear to ear. "Can you forgive me for being
such a moron?"

"Yes," Sam smiled. "I would really like to be friends."

Emily extended her arms, enveloping her new "friend" in a hug, and stealing
her new friends' keys in the process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What the Hell happened to you?!" Kyle asked, as Liz threw her bag in the
backseat and stepped quickly into the front.

Liz shook her head and scrunched her face, wondering what Kyle was talking
about.

Kyle's eyes frantically roamed over her face, as he spoke. "My God, Liz did
that bastard hit you?!"

Liz brow furrowed as the realization of what Kyle was talking about suddenly
dawned on her. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts when she'd walked out
of Kelly's that she'd forgotton what her face looked like.

She turned to him quickly, pointing a finger. "First off...don't call him
that. You don't know him. You have no right to..." Liz trailed off, not
really knowing why she was defending Lucky in the first place. 'Because I
love him,' she thought. 'God help me I do...and I always will.' She continued
then. "Secondly...NO! He did not hit me....he'd never lay a hand on me...I
got in a fight."

Kyle shook his head. "Sorry," he stated flattly. "I just saw your face
and...Liz who did you get in a fight with? Why?"

Liz sighed, not wanting to rehash the whole thing, but knowing that she owed
him some type of explanation for driving all this way. 'Besides,' she
thought. 'Everyone at school is gonna wonder why I've got all these friggin'
scratches and bruises...'

"I got in a fight with this girl..." Liz began slowly.

"What girl?" Kyle asked shocked. He chuckled a bit. "Just some random girl by
the bleechers after school?" he joked.

Liz sighed in frustration and blurted out the first thing that entered her
mind, regretting it a second later. "No! Some random girl that slept with my
husband!"

She started to cry then, the days' events catching up with her all at once
and bombarding her.

Kyle's mouth dropped open, astonished by her revelation. 'Lucky cheated on
her?' he thought.'Why would any man cheat on this woman?' He wanted to
comfort her. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but he didn't know if he
should. Would she take it as yet another attempt at a "come-on?" He had to
take the chance. She needed someone, and for now he'd have to do. He scooted
closer to her and enveloped her in a hug as she cried upon his shoulder."I'm
sorry," he wispered. "I'm really sorry."